Power, Utilities and Infrastructure

One of the key factors inhibiting commerce and development in Africa is the inadequacy of world class infrastructure to support power, water, ICT and transport services – therein lies an enormous opportunity for firms operating in this sector.

Electric power has consistently attracted the largest portion of new capital in Africa. And yet the continent still only has an electrification rate of 30%, thus power remains a substantial area for potential growth. Beyond electricity, significant opportunities exist more broadly across infrastructure –  these include roads and rail networks, telecoms, ports & airports, healthcare and social infrastructure.

While the need is clear, the financing of these projects remains a challenge.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates that Africa’s infrastructure requirements amount to between US$130 billion and US$170 billion per year – with a financing gap in the range of US$68 billion and US$108 billion. These figures are far higher than previous estimates.

As a leading pan-African financier, with an on-the-ground presence in 10 countries across the continent, we believe we have a key role to play in closing this gap.

At Absa CIB, we work with multinationals, developers, engineering, procurement and construction firms, equipment manufacturers and other stakeholders, and pride ourselves on having the necessary expertise to structure the complicated funding of large infrastructure projects in emerging markets – assisting our clients to navigate the associated risks to win in these territories.

We partner with you to make things happen.